Royal Caribbean Blog

If you’re planning a cruise on a budget, then you’ll want to find a cheap cruise deal. No one wants to pay more than they have to for a cruise vacation, and luckily there are several easy tips you can use to find the best cruise deals available.

The cost of a cruise can be a deterrent for many travelers, but it doesn’t have to be. If you’re flexible during the cruise planning process, you can find cheap deals that will save you hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Finding a “cheap” cruise deal does not mean you’re sacrificing a quality vacation, either. Cruise deals are due to a combination of factors—time of year, demand, and departure port—which means a good deal doesn’t equate a bad cruise.

The most important factor when looking for the best cruise deals is flexibility. The more flexible you are when planning a cruise, the better chance you have at snagging an amazing deal for your vacation.

If you’re wondering how to get the best cruise deals, here are 15 easy tips.

Book early

More often than not, the best cruise deals are found on sailings one to two years in the future. In most scenarios, if you’re looking for the best deals, we recommend booking as soon as possible rather than waiting until the last minute.

Most cruise itineraries are announced around two years in advance. As itineraries open up for bookings, you can often find great deals, especially if you’re hoping to book a balcony room or suite. Plus, if you’re searching for a rare cruise cabin, such as the cow-themed Ben & Jerry’s Sweet, it’s important to book early not only to find a cruise deal, but to book before the cabin sells out.

Look for last-minute deals

Booking a cruise at the last minute might seem counterintuitive to our advice about booking a cruise early. And although we usually recommend booking early as opposed to later, you can often snag a cheap cruise deal by booking at the last minute.

Related: How to get last minute cruise deals

If a cruise itinerary still has a significant number of empty cabins in the months leading up to the sailing, Royal Caribbean may drop the price in order to increase demand. This is most common after the final payment date for a particular sailing has passed—between 75 and 90 days before the cruise.

To find a last-minute cruise deal on Royal Caribbean, search the website for cruises and filter the results to see the lowest price first. You can also use a website such as VacationsToGo.com, which has a 90-day ticker showing the best, cheapest cruise deals departing within the next three months.

Sail a one-way Alaska itinerary

Alaska cruises have a reputation for being more expensive than other itineraries. After all, it’s not uncommon to spend over $2000 for an interior cabin during the state’s peak summer season.

Despite this, we’ve noticed a pricing trend for the past two years on select Alaska itineraries. One-way Alaska itineraries tend to offer fantastic cruise deals, often as low as just $550 per person including taxes and fees.

One-way Alaska cruises travel from Vancouver, Canada to Seward, Alaska and vice versa. These 7-night itineraries allow guests to visit more Alaska ports as well as spend time in Alaska’s interior before or after the cruise. While providing an excellent itinerary, one-way cruises see less demand compared to roundtrip sailings due to the inconvenience of starting and ending in different ports.

If Royal Caribbean sees low demand in the months leading up to the sailing, the prices for these sailings will drop drastically. Keeping an eye on one-way Alaska cruise deals 3-6 months before the cruise begins is a sure-fire way to find a deal on cruising to the Last Frontier.

Book with a travel agent

I book every single cruise with a travel agent, whether a short weekend cruise to the Bahamas or a two week trip to Greenland. Doing so has saved me hundreds of dollars over the past few years, and that’s not even mentioning the added service and resources my travel agent provides before, during, and after the sailing.

Whenever I book a cruise, I first email my travel agent for a quote; the quote I receive is often cheaper than what I could find on Royal Caribbean’s website. Depending on the travel agency you work with, they may offer group rates on select itineraries, which can save you money on your cruise fare.

Related: Top 5 things to look for in a good travel agent for your cruise vacation

Additionally, I almost always receive extra onboard credit through my travel agent. Having onboard credit means I can enjoy my cruise even more, whether I use it to book a specialty restaurant dinner or order an extra cocktail on the pool deck.

Aside from potential savings, though, are other benefits to using a travel agent. Travel agents are available to answer any questions you may have about your Royal Caribbean cruise, and they provide service in the case of any problems you encounter leading up to your sailing.

Book during the off season

If your schedule is flexible, you should book a cruise during the shoulder or off season instead of the peak season.

Peak season varies by destination, but generally coincides with school holidays. Summer, holiday weekends, and school breaks for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break tend to see the most demand for cruises.

Therefore, if you’re able to cruise outside of these peak times, you can almost always find cheaper cruise deals. Sailing to Alaska in early September, for example, can be hundreds of dollars cheaper than sailing in mid July.

Likewise, booking a Caribbean cruise during hurricane season is typically much more affordable than during Thanksgiving. While there’s a slight chance of a hurricane affecting your cruise, most itineraries will sail smoothly with no itinerary changes or cancellations.

Related: What to know about cruising during hurricane season in the Caribbean

While not everyone can take advantage of sailing at non-peak times, particularly if they have kids still in school, it can lead to great cruise deals for those with more flexibility.

Sail on older and smaller ships

Royal Caribbean markets their newest and biggest cruise ships more than the fleet’s older vessels, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid smaller cruise ships. By searching for cruises on older ships, you’re almost guaranteed to find cheap cruise deals.

The oldest Royal Caribbean ships—Vision, Radiance, and Voyager Class ships—often see some of the lowest prices. Despite the smaller size, many cruisers appreciate the more relaxed atmosphere of these ships and the unique ports on their itineraries.

Related: I sailed on Royal Caribbean’s newest and oldest cruise ships: here’s what it’s like to cruise on each

If you’re hoping for a blend of a cheap deal and "new" ship, look at cruising on an amplified cruise ship. As part of Royal Caribbean’s Royal Amplified program, the cruise line made significant refurbishments on select older vessels. During the process, they added features such as waterslides, new dining venues, and revamped pool decks.

Despite the addition of new features, cruise fares are still reasonable on amplified vessels—some of the best values in a cruise vacation can be found on amplified ships like Mariner of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, and Navigator of the Seas.

Be flexible with your departure ports

Flexibility is key to finding the best cruise deals; if you’re flexible with your departure port, you may have a better chance at finding a cheap deal.

Instead of cruising from Miami, look at sailings from Tampa or Port Canaveral. Or, if you live in the Northeast, check if there are any cheap deals from Cape Liberty, Boston, or Baltimore. You might be surprised to find a cheap cruise leaving from a less common cruise port.

Don’t overlook more faraway departure ports as well. As someone who lives on the west coast of the United States, I’m often shocked at the price of domestic flights to South Florida from my home airport. In fact, it’s often nearly the same price to fly to Barcelona, Spain as it is to Miami!

While there’s certainly more travel time required to get to Europe as opposed to Florida, searching a wider range of departure ports means opening up the possibility for more cheap deals.

Look at any and all cruise itineraries

Just as it's important to be flexible on your cruise ship and departure port, you should also be flexible on your cruise itinerary in order to find the best deals.

If you’re set on visiting a particular port—whether Bermuda or Santorini—you’ll be more limited in cruise options. Having more limitations means you have fewer options available, meaning you’ll miss out on some of the best cruise deals.

Related: 15 countries you didn’t know you could cruise to on Royal Caribbean

If you’re looking for the absolute cheapest, best cruise fares, keep your destination availability open. All of Royal Caribbean’s cruise ports have something to offer, from the coral reefs of Australia to the cruise line’s private island of Perfect Day at CocoCay.

The more flexible you are in itinerary choice, the better chance you’ll have at scoring a great deal.

Book a guarantee cabin

Booking a guarantee cabin on Royal Caribbean means you can save money on cruise fare with the caveat of not being able to choose your exact cabin location.

When you book a guarantee cabin, you give Royal Caribbean the power to select where on the ship your room will be located. If you book a guarantee balcony cabin, for example, you will be assigned (at least) a balcony room, but it could be located anywhere on the ship, from deck 7 forward to deck 12 aft.

Related: Should I book a guarantee stateroom on a cruise?

The advantage of booking a guarantee room, of course, is to save money—depending on the offer, you may be able to save over a hundred dollars by not choosing your cabin location. The disadvantage is that you cannot select the location. If you’re picky on cabin location, it’s best to pay extra to select the location yourself.

Despite the lack of flexibility, booking a guarantee cabin is one of the best ways to make a great cruise deal even cheaper.

Book during a Kids Sail Free promotion

If you’re planning a cruise with kids, the best time to book is during one of Royal Caribbean’s Kids Sail Free promotions.

As the name implies, a Kids Sail Free promotion is an offer in which kids can sail “free” on a Royal Caribbean cruise. In reality, this means that any third guest and higher in a cabin who is 12 years old or younger can sail free on a cruise longer than four nights.

Related: Royal Caribbean Kids Sail Free 2023-2024 Dates & Tips

Of course, there are a few conditions to the Kids Sail Free offer. First are blackout dates, which are commonly found during school holidays. The second caveat is that you still have to pay taxes, fees, and gratuities for all kids—the “free” deal is for the base cruise fare only.

Despite these exceptions, booking during Kids Sail Free can usually save families money on a Royal Caribbean cruise if their schedule is flexible.

Book a longer itinerary

The shorter the cruise, the cheaper the cruise will cost… right? Not exactly!

Most people assume that booking a shorter cruise will lead to a cheaper cruise fare, but that’s not necessarily the case. As a matter of fact, some of the cheapest cruises are found on Royal Caribbean’s longest itineraries!

If you’re cruising with a limited budget, don’t search for only the shortest itineraries. While a 3-night weekend cruise might seem like it would be the cheapest option, this is hardly ever the case!

Instead, keep your search flexible and search for cruises of varying lengths. Royal Caribbean’s cruise fares aren’t necessarily priced according to cruise length, but are based on a variety of factors including ship age, time of year, itinerary, and demand for a particular sailing.

Some of the longest itineraries—such as repositioning cruises and transatlantic itineraries—see the lowest price per day of any cruise itinerary. Being open to more unique, longer itineraries can be a good way to stretch your vacation budget further and have more time onboard.

Keep an eye on Going, Going, Gone rates

Every week, Royal Caribbean publishes a PDF flyer online of their “Going, Going, Gone” rates. This list of last-minute cruise deals is one of the most convenient ways to check for the cheapest cruise fares available. You can view the list here.

The flyer is published once per week (usually late on Monday) but it is not updated throughout the week. Therefore, it’s recommended to check the flyer on late Monday night or early Tuesday morning in order to help ensure all deals listed are still available. As cruises book up during the week, the deals listed on the PDF may no longer be valid.

Subscribe to email newsletters

Hoping to be notified about the best cruise deals? Subscribing to email newsletters from your favorite cruise lines and cruise websites helps you stay in the loop.

The Royal Caribbean Blog newsletter, for example, is a weekly email in which we send out the week’s top stories, some of which may include information on cruise deals. Likewise, you may want to subscribe to Royal Caribbean’s official newsletter here—the cruise line sends promotional emails listing the current top deals and offers.

Stay loyal to a cruise line

The higher your loyalty status with a particular cruise line, the better chance you have of finding cheap cruise deals. If you cruise often with Royal Caribbean, we recommend sticking to the cruise line in order to grow your loyalty status in the Crown & Anchor Society.

Platinum members and above in the Crown & Anchor Society receive discounts on balcony and suite staterooms in addition to exclusive Crown & Anchor rates. Not only that, but single supplement fares are reduced for select Diamond Plus members and Pinnacle Club members receive a free 7-night cruise at 700 and 1050 cruise points.

Related: 11 of our favorite under-the-radar Crown & Anchor perks

Although most passengers “Loyal to Royal” won’t reach Pinnacle Club status, they can still receive the benefits of discounted cabins and onboard offers. Even if you don’t find the cheapest cruise deal available, you’ll still save significant money with Crown & Anchor benefits like free drinks and complimentary laundry.

Book with special rates for military, senior, and residency deals

Select groups of people may be eligible for special rates on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Knowing if you qualify for a special rate is helpful before you book in order to ensure you find the best cruise deal for your sailing.

Royal Caribbean’s list of guests who may qualify for discounts includes:

• Guests 55 years of age and older on select sailings
• Police and firefighters (active or retired employee or volunteer)
• Active or retired personnel in the military
• Airline personnel

We recommend checking Royal Caribbean’s detailed list here to check if you qualify for any discounts.

Most passengers enjoy spending a sea day relaxing by the pool, participating in onboard activities, and exploring their ship, but there are a few mistakes you should avoid while your ship sails from port to port.

Compared to port days, sea days on a cruise are typically slower paced. Instead of rushing to disembark the ship and spend time on shore, passengers can take their time and enjoy the day onboard however they wish.

Even though sea days come with no requirements on how you should spend your time, there are a few things you should avoid doing on a sea day.

From avoiding the buffet to waking up early, here are the top 10 mistakes to avoid making on a cruise ship sea day.

Eating only at the buffet

Royal Caribbean’s Windjammer buffet is extremely popular, and for good reason: this complimentary venue offers a wide variety of cuisines and cooking styles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Related: Guide to Royal Caribbean's Windjammer Cafe buffet

Due to the restaurant’s popularity, it’s almost always crowded on sea days, especially for breakfast and lunch. One of the mistakes you should avoid making on a cruise ship sea day is to eat only at the buffet.

Instead of dining at the busy Windjammer, why not grab a salad from Park Cafe, burrito from El Loco Fresh, or slice of pizza from Sorrento’s? Or, if you’re hoping for a sit-down meal, start your day with a quiet brunch at the Main Dining Room or at a specialty restaurant.

We recommend checking the Royal Caribbean app for alternative options to the Windjammer on a sea day. While the Windjammer is a fantastic place to dine, a sea day is a great time to try other restaurants onboard.

Not checking the activities

Royal Caribbean offers an extensive list of activities on all days of your cruise, but especially on sea days. In fact, there are almost too many activities to choose between!

Don’t make the mistake of forgetting to check the Cruise Compass on a sea day. Scrolling through the list of daily activities on the Royal Caribbean app helps you plan your day and ensure you don’t miss out on any exciting programming.

Related: 15 free things to try on your next cruise

Whether watching a Broadway show, attending a trivia session, or trying your luck at bingo, there’s no shortage of fun and interesting ways to spend a sea day on Royal Caribbean. 

Planning too many activities

Even though we recommend checking the Royal Caribbean app for activities offered on your sea day, don’t plan too many activities.

Sea days are meant to be relaxing, and packing your day with back-to-back programming can be tiring. Instead of rushing from bumper cars to basketball to karaoke and a game show, plan your day loosely. Maybe attend one or two activities instead of five, or none at all!

If you would rather spend a sea day napping on the pool deck, you shouldn’t feel pressured to participate in other activities onboard. After all, you are in total control of how you spend time on a cruise vacation!

Forgetting to apply sunscreen

Without fail, you’ll see a few passengers sporting bright red, painful sunburns after every sea day, and you should try to avoid becoming one yourself.

It’s common to spend time in the sun on a sea day, whether lounging at the pool, sliding down waterslides, or playing pickleball on the sports court. Regardless of how you enjoy time in the sun, remember to generously apply (and reapply) sunscreen throughout the day.

Related: 22 unpleasant cruise ship problems you aren't prepared for

A sunburn can turn any cruise vacation into a miserable experience, especially if you end up with sun poisoning. Instead of burning to a crisp, wear sunscreen to avoid any painful, unfortunate problems later on.

Forgetting to take seasickness medication

Although feeling seasick on a cruise is not as common as you might think, it can still happen. If you’re prone to motion sickness and your ship is traveling through high seas, don’t forget to take seasickness medication before it’s too late.

The last thing you want to occur on a sea day is feeling seasick. Feeling ill can ruin any chance at an enjoyable sea day, so remember to take precautions in advance. Taking Dramamine, Bonine, or natural remedies like ginger tablets can prevent or lessen your chance of feeling seasick while onboard.

Waking up early

A cruise vacation is supposed to be relaxing, but you might find yourself feeling downright exhausted while on a cruise, especially if your itinerary is port-intensive.

Most port days start early, with the ship docking at 7 or 8AM. To make the most of your time in port, you’ll likely wake up early on port days in order to disembark the ship as soon as possible. After a few days, however, many passengers find themselves tired from the early morning wake-up calls.

On a cruise ship sea day, we recommend sleeping in instead of setting a 6AM alarm. There’s nowhere to be while your ship sails from port to port, so take this time to catch up on sleep to ensure you’re well rested for the remainder of the ports on your itinerary.

Getting to the pool deck too late

The pool deck is far busier on sea days compared to port days. If you want to snag the best spot by the pool, remember to head there earlier rather than later.

If you want a pool chair in a prime location on the pool deck, we recommend heading to the pool deck around 8:30-9AM. Although this may seem early, the truth is that pool chairs can rapidly fill up by mid-morning, leaving you with a less-than-ideal chair location.

Just remember: don’t be a chair hog! Some passengers visit the pool deck early to “reserve” a chair by placing an item on the chair before heading to breakfast, grabbing a coffee, or going back to their cabin. This is not permitted but still occurs, so don’t add to the problem by becoming a chair hog yourself!

Forgetting to make specialty dining reservations

Hoping to eat at a specialty restaurant on a sea day? Be sure to make dining reservations in advance.

It’s popular for cruisers to dine at specialty restaurants on sea days, which means restaurants can book up quickly on these days. If you’re planning to dine at Izumi Hibachi, Chops Grille, Wonderland, or any other specialty dining restaurant, it's best to make reservations before the cruise.

The best way to secure a specialty dining reservation is to reserve a table in advance on Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Planner website. If you have a dining package, though, you’ll have to wait until you get onboard to book reservations.

Those with dining packages should head to a specialty restaurant immediately upon boarding the ship on embarkation day to reserve all dining times for the week.

Booking a spa appointment

Unsurprisingly, it’s common for passengers to book spa appointments on sea days. On a cruise ship sea day, passengers’ schedules are completely open. There’s no need to worry about getting ready for port or making it back to the ship on time for a massage.

While booking a massage on a sea day isn’t necessarily a mistake, you can almost always find better prices on port days. If your schedule is flexible, consider booking a spa appointment on a port day to save money.

Booking a spa treatment on a port day does not mean you have to forgo spending time in port. Instead of booking the appointment at noon, for example, book it at 8AM or 4PM. This ensures you can enjoy your treatment before or after a port day, all while saving money at the same time.

Related: 45 ways to save money on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Going to bed early the night before a sea day

Because port days can start early in the morning, many passengers go to bed early the night before waking up in port. After all, staying awake until 1AM when you have a shore excursion early the next morning can leave you feeling worn out.

Therefore, the night before a sea day is the perfect time to stay up late. As there is no reason to wake up early on a sea day, many passengers enjoy spending the prior evening at bars, entertainment shows, or the nightclub.

From dancing at a midnight disco to doing shots in the pub, it’s fun to get (a little) wilder than normal before a sea day. While you might feel hungover the following morning, it’s better to rest in bed rather than feel nauseous while exploring port!

Royal Caribbean Group's first quarter earnings call with analysts shed light onto how strong their business is right, and why you may need to adjust your own planning strategy.

Reading the tea leaves of what executives said during the hour-long call, it's clear demand for cruises is the highest it's been since 2019, and that has ramifications for how to effectively budget and schedule your upcoming cruise.

"While demand has been strong across all products and markets, we continue to see exceptional strength from the North American consumer. This strength, in combination with the incredible Perfect Day at CocoCay has resulted in record yields for our Caribbean sailings," said Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty.

The demand for cruises is so strong right now that it's not only erased any doubt about the cruise industry's ability to bounce back from the events of 2020 - 2022, but demonstrates how competitive things are going to be this year in terms of booking a new cruise.

These earnings call may sound like just another financial discussion, but it sheds light on trends we can expect when it comes to cruise planning.

In looking at the numbers, there are two trends you should be aware of if you're either going to book a 2023 cruise, or have one booked already.

Don't expect prices to come down

With demand so high for cruise bookings right now, I wouldn't expect to find bargain basement rates for cruises in the near future.

"Strong demand for Caribbean itineraries translated into higher load factors at better than expected pricing for both ticket and onboard," is what Mr. Liberty said at the beginning of the call.

"Yields grew 5.8% compared to record 2019 levels and were significantly above our guidance."

What this means is there were more people booked on Caribbean cruises than before, specifically with more than 2 people in the cabin, and those passengers paid more for the cruise fare and their add-ons.

Here are more quotes about how strong the business of selling cruises is in the first quarter.

"Our brands are stronger than ever and our yield in Q1 blew away previous records."

"The acceleration of demand, coupled with our team's incredible execution, is also translating into higher revenue and earnings expectations for the full year."

"Bookings outpaced 2019 levels by a very wide margin throughout the entire first quarter and into April."

He also emphasized the people are booking cruises back in a "normal" way, meaning some of the trepidation we saw following the cruise industry restart is pretty much gone now.

"The booking window is now completely back to normal, demonstrating consumers desire to continue to plan their vacation travel with us well in advance."

After hearing all of this, it sounds to me that even though Royal Caribbean has raised cruise fare prices (compared to 2019), consumers are still booking and in record numbers.

This means the chances of cruise fare prices going down on average seem remote, and if anything, I think it could embolden the company to continue raising fares.

My advice is if you haven't booked a cruise yet but want to, go ahead and lock in a price now before prices go up again.  If you can book your cruise more than 6 months before the cruise begins, it will greatly benefit you.

One of my best Royal Caribbean cruise tips is to book your cruise as early as you can to lock in the best rates, keeping in mind residents of many countries (US and Canada, for example) can reprice the cruise if the price does drop up until the final payment date.

That isn't to say there won't be any last-minute deals for a cruise, but you shouldn't bank on it as your primary cruise booking strategy.

Cruise add-ons will sell out, so book early

One lesson I'll apply from the earnings call is when I book my Royal Caribbean shore excursions in the future.

Not only are people booking cruises like never before, but they're also buying more before the cruise begins.

"About two thirds of our guests booked some of their onboard activities in advance of their cruise," Mr. Liberty explained.

"The comparable figure in 2019 was 48%. So you can see we have used our time well to upgrade our systems."

Getting people to book things before the cruise commences is a big deal to the company, because it ends up being more profitable for the company, "Every dollar a guest spends, pre-cruise translates into approximately $0.70 of incremental spend."

What this means to me is the days of waiting until you got onboard your cruise ship to book a tour, drink package, or other add-on would be a mistake.  I've always felt this way about drink packages, but excursions are a shift.

If more than half the people on your cruise are shopping for cruise add-ons in advance, that means more competition to book shore excursions and consequently a higher chance tours will sell out before the cruise begins.

Read more: Guide to picking the perfect Royal Caribbean shore excursion

I'd go one step further and recommend booking your tours months before your cruise, instead of weeks or days.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for cruisers is when there are limited or no shore excursions left to book through the cruise line, and booking shore excursions on your own through a third party provider is a daunting prospect.

Read more: What to do if Royal Caribbean's shore excursions are sold out

It's not just shore excursions that can sell out, as specialty restaurants and dining packages are often selling out.

Remember, anything you book in the Cruise Planner website is fully refundable before the cruise begins.  So if you book a tour or package four or five months before the cruise begins but change your mind later, there's no risk.

Read more: How to cancel and rebook pre-cruise purchases on Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner

More cabins could become available later

Perhaps the most cryptic thing said during the earnings call was a short comment about cruise ship cabin availability.

Read more: The 5 best cabin locations on a cruise ship

Near the end of the call, Mr. Liberty talked about cruise cabin inventory, and how the increased demand might change how Royal Caribbean sells rooms next year.

I've always worked under the assumption when Royal Caribbean puts a new sailing for sale, every single cabin is available at once to book.  But perhaps that is no longer the case.

"We used to kind of put everything out there and all the suites would be sold basically right off the bat. And then you would kind of work your way down to the inside cabins," he said in answering the question.

"While now, we we hold back inventory, and we release it based off of our what are much more sophisticated revenue management models that we have today."

Unfortunately, there was no other clarification or insight into what that statement means. For context, here's everything else he said immediately after that.  Perhaps you can decipher it better than I can.

That's why I think sometimes when we get into conversations around "what percent booked are you", "how does it relate to this period versus that period", what we're really focused on is optimizing yield. And so there might be periods where quarter over quarter, or year over year, we want to be in a in a stronger booked position or lesser than what we were booked in a previous period. Because what we're focused on is maximizing yield, which sometimes comes with us having more inventory to sell.

The call wrapped up immediately after that comment, so it's hard to know precisely how Royal Caribbean is managing their stateroom inventory. It certainly sounds like when a new sailing becomes available to book, not every cabin is available off the bat.

Without having additional context, I simply wanted to provide this information so you can keep it in mind when booking new cruises, especially when Royal Caribbean adds new cruises to book.

It might mean if a certain cabin category is sold out initially, that it becomes available to book again down the road.

Or it could be a comment we're not properly understanding and stateroom inventory is not nearly as opportunistic as it sounds.

Planning a cruise? Start here:

• 8 cruise tips for first-time Royal Caribbean cruisers
• What’s included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare
• 5 quick and easy tips for finding a great shore excursion on your own
• Food on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• Which is the best Royal Caribbean cruise ship?
• What is the best time to go on a Caribbean cruise?

Stay up-to-date with all the Royal Caribbean news from this week with our roundup of all this week's news.

Royal Caribbean is breaking its own records for cruise sales with Icon of the Seas.

During Royal Caribbean's first quarter results call with Wall Street analysts, cruise line executives said they are "getting exceptional demand with bookings well surpassing previous records," for Icon of the Seas.

"Despite being on sale for only five months, Icon is significantly more booked for her inaugural season at materially higher rates than any other Royal Caribbean ship launch," said Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean Group reports better-than-expected first quarter earnings
• Royal Caribbean executives talk where Utopia of the Seas will sail, incredible cruise demand, & booking trends
• Royal Caribbean begins skipping scheduled stops in Skagway, Alaska
• Royal Caribbean updates: Icon of the Seas sea trials, Adults-only beach construction & more
• I went on my first Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise. Here's what it was like and why I'd do it again
• Best hotels near the Cape Liberty/Bayonne cruise port
• Symphony of the Seas cruise review
• How to get free wifi on Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 498th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, previewing Matt's upcoming cruise to Europe.

Matt is taking his first cruise in Europe, and provides an overview of how he's planning his first time in this part of the world.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

21 Tips for the Best Cruise Ship Main Dining Room Experience

{"preview_thumbnail":"/sites/default/files/styles/video_embed_wysiwyg_preview/public/video_thumbnails/TOsxsyL5_oU.jpg?itok=nfaBfQMG","video_url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOsxsyL5_oU","settings":{"responsive":1,"width":"854","height":"480","autoplay":0},"settings_summary":["Embedded Video (Responsive)."]}

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — 21 Tips for the Best Cruise Ship Main Dining Room Experience — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Crew member shares what it's like to work on a cruise ship

Jordan Bauth is an ice skater on Wonder of the Seas and shared what a week of working and living on a cruise ship is like.

She shares regular updates from her life working on a cruise ship as a professional ice skater, and it's a fascinating look at how someone balances their duties, and opportunities to explore the world.

Ms. Bauth offers a behind-the-scenes look at her work life and personal life onboard.

Matt is going on his first European cruise: Here’s what he thinks he should do

After years of only cruising around North America, Matt is headed to Europe!

Matt is booked on a 7-night Norwegian fjords cruise, and sailing from Europe introduces a variety of new challenges.

From taking a long-haul flight to balancing currency requirements, Matt shares how he's planning his first time going across the Atlantic for a cruise.

Answers to your really dumb cruise ship dining questions

In case you're wondering, there's no shame in asking questions about eating on a cruise ship that you may be too embarrassed to ask.

What seems like basic knowledge to frequent cruisers can cause confusion for first time cruisers. So much confusion, unsurprisingly, leads to a lot of questions about dining on a cruise ship.

To make your first cruise experience stress-free, we’re answering 17 of your really dumb cruise ship dining questions.

The day of your cruise has finally arrived! You are pulling up to the terminal and see the ship in the distance, only to be confronted by massive crowds waiting to get on the ship just like you. 

You do not want to spend your precious vacation time waiting inside of the terminal when you could be sipping on a cocktail on the pool deck or getting acquainted with the ship before sail away. 

Boarding early also allows you to enjoy a more leisurely lunch before the Windjammer gets crowded, as well as attend to some check-list things, including confirming dining reservations and signing children up for Adventure Ocean programming. 

If you plan ahead, you might be able to reduce the amount of time spent checking in and get to the fun stuff faster! 

Related: 30 Do's and Don'ts for the first day of your cruise

Here are 15 ways to speed up the embarkation process and board your cruise ship faster. 

Arrive a day early

If you do not live within driving distance and are flying to your cruise port, you will want to ensure that you make arrangements to arrive the day before the ship is scheduled to depart.

Aside from any delays or cancellations that could cause you to miss the ship, by being in the vicinity of the ship first thing in the morning, you can secure an early check-in time and have time to relax at your hotel beforehand! 

Reserve a suite

When you book a suite on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you are able to begin reaping the benefits before you even step onboard! The specific perks vary based on the ship and suite category, so it is important that you understand the differences if priority boarding is something you want to look forward to. 

All suites on Vision, Voyager, and Freedom Class ships get priority boarding as a benefit, regardless of whether it is a Junior Suite, Grand Suite, or Owner's Suite. 

Suites onboard Oasis and Quantum Class ships are part of what is referred to as the Royal Suite Class. All suites onboard are divided into three categories -- Sea, Sky, and Star -- that receive different perks. 

Sea Class guests, or those staying in a Junior Suite, do not have any priority boarding boarding benefits. Likewise, Sky Class suite guests are only eligible for flexible arrival. Star Suites are the only suites onboard Oasis and Quantum Class ships that guarantee expedited boarding. 

Print your luggage tags in advance

When you finish the online check-in process, you will be able to print your luggage tags. These tags are what help ensure that your luggage gets delivered to the correct stateroom, and by having them ready, you will spend less time outside of the terminal-- you can simply drop off your bags with a porter and go.

Note: it is customary to tip porters $1 or $2 per bag, so you will want a few small bills on your person!

If you do not have them printed and attached upon arrival, you will have to wait to speak with a porter, who will have to fill out a tag and attach it to your luggage before collecting it. 

To make this process even easier, you can purchase luggage tag holders on Amazon. That way, you do not have to worry about them getting damaged. 

Do not take big bags through security

Speaking of porters, they exist for a reason! Do not try and take your big suitcases with you onboard. While trying to navigate the lines, physical check-in, and security, it is inevitable that these bags will slow you down. 

Moreover, you do not want to have to worry about lugging them around the ship with you until your stateroom is available! You should only bring a manageable carry-on bag with you that has all of your essentials--you will not need all of your belongings the second you board. 

Have your carry-on bag packed and ready

Before you get to the terminal, you will want to make sure that you have a separate carry-on bag packed with your essentials, such as medication, travel documentation, boarding passes, valuable items, and more.

You do not want to be scrambling to pull these items from your luggage at the last minute. That might require pulling out tons of stuff and having to repack it on the sidewalk! 

The carry-on bag is also a great place to pack some items that will keep younger children entertained during the boarding process and let you attend to the logistics without any distractions. This might include some snacks, toys, an iPad, etc. 

Know your stateroom number

If, by chance, you forgot to print your luggage tags, you will have to tell the porter your stateroom number. Instead of lengthening bag drop off even more, have your stateroom number handy. They will use it to fill out a luggage tag and staple it to the big. 

Even if you came prepared with the tags, there is a chance that someone will ask you your stateroom number at another point during the check-in process. 

Plus, once you get onboard, knowing your stateroom number will help you locate your cabin. You will not find yourself in a position where you walked too far forward or on the wrong side of the ship. 

Purchase The Key

The Key is a cruise add-on that guests may purchase to unlock (pun intended) some benefits meant to enhance their cruising experience, such as priority access into the terminal within a specific time frame.

When you get to the terminal, you will be able to wait in an exclusive area just for those who purchased The Key where employees will handle your in-person check-in procedures. When boarding begins, you will be let on first. 

The Key comes with other benefits, too, that may help justify the extra cost, such as a VOOM Surf & Stream internet package. Sometimes, the price difference between purchasing an internet package and The Key is so minimal that the upgrade is worth it. 

Plus, you will also be able to drop off your carry-on luggage in the Main Dining Room and have it delivered to your stateroom, enjoy an exclusive lunch in the Main Dining Room featuring the Chops Grille menu and private time at onboard activities, and be one of the first people off with priority departure from ship-to-shore at tender ports.

Other perks include VIP seats at shows in the Main Theater, AquaTheater, and Studio B, as well as a private à la carte breakfast and choice departure on disembarkation day. 

Related: I tried The Key (again) to see if it's worth it 

Strive to reach Pinnacle Club

Pinnacle Club is the top tier of Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society. To reach this level, you have to amass a whooping 700 cruise points! 

On embarkation day, Pinnacle Club members are able to arrive at the terminal up to an hour before or after their scheduled check-in time. 

Of course, there are other benefits that make reaching such a coveted tier worth the effort, including daily breakfast at a specialty restaurant, milestone certificates for free cruises, and others from lower tiers. 

Even if you are seemingly light years away from reaching Pinnacle Club, you should enroll in the Crown & Anchor Society, as you will start to receive perks after your very first cruise. 

Complete your online check-in in advance 

Weeks before your cruise is scheduled to depart, you will be asked by Royal Caribbean to complete your online check-in. Here, you will input your home address, travel documentation (i.e., passport or birth certificate), emergency contact information, take a security photo, and confirm your date of birth. 

Making sure that this is done in advance will speed up your physical check-in time at the terminal. 

Have all of your documentation readily available

Even though you will submit your travel documentation online, you will still need to present it at the port. Do not waste your time or hold up the line by digging through your carry-on bag for your passport or birth certificate. If it is readily available, you can move through this part of the check-in process quicker. 

This includes your Set Sail pass, too, as it will have to be scanned in order for you to board the ship! You will not get your physical SeaPass card until staterooms become available. 

Cruise with a passport instead of a birth certificate 

While you technically can use a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID to take a closed-loop cruise in the United States, it is recommended that you use a passport.

Having a passport means not only a simpler embarkation and disembarkation process, but it protects you against an unexpected situation that may arise during your cruise vacation, such as a medical emergency in a foreign country. 

When boarding the cruise, the port agents will not have to spend more time verifying your birth certificate, meaning that those with passports will be able to start their vacation a little bit faster. 

Related: Do you need a passport for a cruise?

Book private transfers

Making arrangements for a private transfer to the terminal will bring you peace of mind on embarkation day, especially if your cruise port is far from a major city (i.e., Rome to Civitavecchia) or airport. 

You will not have to worry about hiring a ride share service the morning of or hauling your luggage through train stations. You can enjoy your breakfast before your ride shows up at the requested time!

Plus, while cruise line transfers might seem convenient, they are often overpriced, and you will have to wait for the entire bus to fill up before you depart. 

Avoid peak check-in times

If you get to the cruise terminal around noon, do not be surprised to find that a large crowd has already gathered. While most cruise lines have implemented check-in windows to prevent this from happening, you cannot account for those who want to try and get on the ship earlier than they are scheduled to. 

Another way to speed up the time spent in the terminal is to select a later check-in time, as most people want to try and board as soon as they can. Do not, however, push this too far-- you might arrive to find that you missed the final call. 

Keep prohibited items at home

Before you are able to board the ship, you will be required to go through a security process similar to that at an airport. You will have to send your belongings through an x-ray scanner while you walk through a body screener. 

If you bring anything that is strictly prohibited -- like a clothes steamer, iron, alcoholic beverages (outside of one 750ml bottle of wine or champagne per person), drugs, candles, etc. -- this will delay your check-in process. Plus, you may even find yourself denied boarding. 

Before you leave home, read up on what is and is not allowed on Royal Caribbean ships and make sure that your packed belongings do not violate their guidelines. 

Finish the e-muster drill before you arrive at the terminal 

While completing the virtual muster drill in advance will not help you get on the ship any faster, it will allow you to spend more time on the ship doing what you want once you get through the boarding process, rather than watching a video regarding safety procedures when you would rather be getting a drink or exploring. 

Do not forget that you will still have to visit your physical muster station, though!

Related: What to expect with Royal Caribbean’s virtual safety drill

This week was filled with exciting updates and developments surrounding Royal Caribbean cruises. 

In addition to updates regarding Utopia of the Seas during the company's budget call, a strong first quarter, and the reopening of the Chinese cruising market, it was announced that the highly anticipated Icon of the Seas is nearing sea trials! Plus, construction is continuing with the adults-only area in Perfect Day at CocoCay, as well as the filing of a new trademark.

Here is a rundown of some news that you should be aware of!

Icon of the Seas nearing her sea trials

The launch of the world's largest cruise ship is getting closer and closer. 

According to a Facebook post made by Meyer Turku on May 5, Icon of the Seas is nearing beginning her sea trials, the last major milestone in the construction of the brand-new ship; they are slated to begin in mid-June. 

This step is important, as it helps to ensure that the ship is ready for service and that all operational systems work properly. Moreover, this is often when some of the first pictures of the completed ship are taken. 

"Sea trials are one of the most important milestones on a ship's road to completion," the post says.

"Sea trials are a way to test all of the ships features that cannot be tested while docked, and that every function onboard is working as intended. [They] are also used to make sure the noise and vibration levels are where they should be."

"As the world's largest prototype ship, Icon's early sea trials are important to ensure that all the ship's main equipment such as propulsion equipment, main engines and power plant, thrusters and fin stabilizers are working as they should."

The shipyard did not confirm how long the sea trials will be, as they vary in duration. It is not uncommon for ships to undergo two different sessions! 

Until sea trials begin, construction will continue at the shipyard in Finland, where construction initially began in June 2021. 

When all of the sea trials are complete, there may be some final adjustments that need to be made before the ship is prepared for delivery. As of May 2023, no official delivery date has been announced by Royal Caribbean or Meyer Werft.

Related: Why are new cruise ships still being built?

When Icon of the Seas makes her debut in January 2024, she will become the world's largest cruise ship, surpassing the current title holder: Wonder of the Seas. As the cruise line's first Icon Class ship, she will be one-of-a-kind and offer the ultimate family vacation. 

Onboard, guests will find the world's largest water park at sea, as well as other firsts and upgrades, such as the AquaDome, a revamped Central Park neighborhood, Chill Island, and the brand-new Surfside neighborhood for families with children. 

Icon will be 6% larger than Wonder of the Seas with the ability to hold up to 7,600 passengers. Including crew members, Icon's total capacity will be close to 10,000. 

She will measure 250,800 gross registered tons, 1,198 feet long, and tower 20 decks high. 

In addition to the sheer size of this vessel, it will be the first Royal Caribbean ship to be powered by LNG-fuel. She will have six Wärtsilä main engines that are capable of running on both diesel and natural gas. 

The demand for Icon of the Seas is just as unprecedented as the ship itself! 

"Despite being on sale for only five months," said Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group's CEO during an earnings call on May 4, Icon is significantly more booked for her inaugural season at materially higher rates than any other Royal Caribbean ship launch."

Once Icon of the Seas is handed over to Royal Caribbean, she will begin making round-trip cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean from Miami, Florida in January 2024. Her inaugural voyage is slated for January 27. 

Hideaway Beach construction update

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Steve Cohen provided us with some photos of Hideaway Beach's construction.

Back in September 2021, Royal Caribbean announced that they would be building a new adults-only area at Perfect Day at CocoCay. 

In 2019, Perfect Day at CocoCay reopened after a $250 million renovation as the ultimate tropical getaway and included the addition of a brand-new water park featuring the 135-foot Daredevil's Peak water slide. 

Hideaway Beach was the first expansion of Perfect Day at CocoCay since Royal Caribbean launched the luxurious Coco Beach Club in 2020. This, however, was a smaller expansion and only increased the island's capacity by a few hundred guests. Hideaway Beach is expected to be larger.

Little, however, has been revealed about what guests can expect this area to be like. Unlike the Royal Beach Club in Nassau, no mock up plans have been released. 

The pictures provided by Cohen show that a structure is being built adjacent to a lagoon on the interior of the island; however, it is unclear what the structure will be for. Perhaps restroom facilities or some kind of fast-casual dining venue like the Snack Shack-- it is all speculation at this point!

Liberty said, "Icon will join the fleet later this year and will debut in the Caribbean in January 2024, with itineraries that include Perfect Day at CocoCay and its new expansion, Hideaway Beach."

"[Hideaway Beach] will accommodate approximately 2,500 more guests...On average now we're having around 11,000 guests a day in in CocoCay, [and] with Hideaway, we can add another two and a half, 3,000 guests...And that's really for designed to be open in time for Icon of the Seas," said Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO. 

Royal Caribbean has yet to confirm when Hideaway Beach will officially open and whether or not it will be complimentary or not. It is expected to open in early January around the time that Icon of the Seas sets sail. 

From the pictures, it appears that Hideaway Beach still has a lot of construction ahead of being ready to open to the public! 

Trademark filed for "Cabana Cay"

On April 10, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. filed a trademark application for the name "Cabana Cay." Per the United States Patent and Trademark Office's website, the trademark "is intended to cover the categories of recreation services, namely, resort services."

New trademark applications always spark interest, and with the ongoing construction at Hideaway Beach in CocoCay and the Royal Beach Club in Nassau, it is possible that Cabana Cay is related to one of these things. The name also suggests that it has something to do with cabanas, a feat that Royal Caribbean has worked on perfecting, especially with the addition of the cabanas at the Coco Beach Club. 

The Royal Beach Club was originally announced in March 2020; however, construction was stalled due to the pandemic. In March 2023, Royal Caribbean announced that the 17-acre beach club would officially open in 2025 as a partnership with The Bahamas.

13 out of the 17 acres will be owned by Royal Caribbean, with the remaining 4 acres as Crown Land, meaning that they will be split as equity between the Bahamian government and its people. 

Unlike Perfect Day at CocoCay, the Royal Beach Club will not be a private island. Instead, it will be a private destination on Paradise Island available only to Royal Caribbean cruise line guests. 

The intention of the Royal Beach Club is to increase customer satisfaction in Nassau, as Michael Bayley revealed that the port currently ranks amount the bottom 10% of ports of call in customer feedback. 

It will be an experience that costs extra, meaning that it will not be included in the cost of your cruise fare.

The pass will not be all-inclusive, either. Outside of access to the beach club, lunch, and a beach chair, you will be responsible for paying for any other extras, including alcohol and soda, cabanas, day beds, and water sports. 

On the concept maps of the Royal Beach Club, there are a couple of areas that will be reserved for cabanas, including a "VIP Cabanas" area on the northern shore of Paradise Island facing the open ocean, rather than the cruise port. In addition, there are two other plans for "Beach Cabanas." Outside of what has been revealed on the concept map, as well as the fact that they will be an extra cost, no other information has been provided about these cabanas.  

All speculation aside, it is important to remember trademark filings do indicate any intention Royal Caribbean has. Sometimes, trademarks are filed for future use in the event that they decide to use the name for something. Like when they trademarked "The Star," "The Pearl," "The Jewel," "The Orb," "The Gem," and "The Oyster" at the same time back in 2022!

Additionally, Royal Caribbean Group files all of its trademarks under a single brand on behalf of all of their subsidiary lines, including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and SilverSea.

I recently participated in my first-ever Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise, and it was so much more fun than I expected.

Long before I was a writer for Royal Caribbean Blog, I was a fan. It was actually my husband that discovered the blog, and we were impressed with the accuracy of the information and enjoyed the live streams and videos.

A couple times a year, Royal Caribbean Blog hosts a group cruise in conjunction with MEI Travel, the blog’s travel agency partner. These group cruises allow fans to sail together while participating in group activities both onboard and in port, including pub crawls and shore excursions.

When I saw that there would be a group cruise out of Port Canaveral last December, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. Not only did my husband and I book the cruise, but my parents booked a cabin too.

Boarding the ship, I really had no idea what to expect. Truth be told, I get nervous in group settings, so I wasn’t sure it would be something I’d enjoy, but it ended up being a blast!

Here’s what it’s like to participate in a Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise and how you can book one of these exciting sailings.

Booking a Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise

We typically book our own cruises, but for the group cruise, we booked with MEI Travel. Booking through MEI Travel means we could participate in all group activities onboard.

While we still could have participated in some group activities if we booked the cruise ourselves, there were other activities exclusive to those that booked with MEI Travel. I wanted to make sure I got to do everything that was offered, so we booked with the travel agency.

Originally, the cruise was supposed to be on Harmony of the Seas. It was a 6-night sailing in December that went to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Cozumel, and Costa Maya.

After booking it, Royal Caribbean changed the ship to Wonder of the Seas, but did not charge anything extra to passengers who had originally booked Harmony of the Seas.

What a treat it was to be able to cruise on the brand new ship at a discounted price!

Our first Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise event was on embarkation day.

The group cruise’s first meet and greet event was scheduled after 4PM on embarkation day. This gave everyone enough time to board the ship, do some exploring, and have time to put their carry-on items away once the cabins were available.

For this event, we met in the Music Hall. We checked in with a member of MEI Travel and were given a lanyard showing we were part of the group.  

The bar staff walked by with trays of complimentary drinks. We opted for the sex on the beach cocktails and raspberry champagne. The bar was also open for those that wanted to purchase their own favorite beverage.

There was a live band on the stage, and most of the group congregated around the bar to mingle.

The second day of our cruise brought us to Perfect Day at CocoCay. After our port day, we enjoyed another group event in the evening.

Since we were in Perfect Day at CocoCay on the second day of our cruise, our next group event wasn’t until 8PM that evening.

Having the event in the evening gave us flexibility to spend our day however we wanted. We opted to stay on the ship while in port to do more exploring, and we were able to enjoy dinner at Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar.

At 8PM, we met up with the group at the Rising Tide Bar, the bar that travels up and down between the Royal Promenade and Central Park neighborhoods.

The Rising Tide Bar meetup was more subdued and it was easier to hold a conversation compared to the one in the Music Hall. I enjoyed the more intimate setting.

Day three of our cruise had three separate group cruise events, all of which were fun ways to connect with other fans onboard.    

It was back to the Music Hall for the first event of the day with the guitarist from the pub providing entertainment. There was a beautiful table set up on the dance floor with muffins, pastries, and coffee. The event was scheduled from 10AM to 12PM.

Unfortunately, we only caught the tail end of the event due to the Crown & Anchor Society’s Top Tier Event being scheduled at the same time. We attended the Top Tier Event to receive our 1050 point milestone recognition and to watch my parents turn Pinnacle!

Related: Pathway to Pinnacle: How I reached the top of Royal Caribbean's Loyalty Program

Immediately after the Music Hall gathering was the second event of the day, and the first event of the cruise exclusive to those who booked the sailing directly with MEI Travel.

This event was a private lunch in the Main Dining Room. There were three choices for appetizers and entrees—I opted for the classic cobb salad and grilled ribeye. Everyone enjoyed New York cheesecake for dessert, and everything was delicious. We were seated at a large table and were able to chat and get to know more of our fellow Royal Caribbean Blog fans.

We went straight to the Schooner Bar after lunch to start the final event of the day: the bar crawl! Practically all of our group had the drink package, so this was a popular event. We used our free Crown & Anchor Society drink coupons and ordered Schooner Bar’s signature drink, the lavender daiquiri, which coincidentally is one of my favorites.

The next stop on the crawl was the Cask & Clipper, the English pub. The group opted for Irish car bombs, and they had put in their order while we were still at the Schooner Bar, so the staff had time to prepare them for our arrival. I just stuck with martinis—this time a lemon drop.

The third bar of our crawl was Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade. Their signature beverage, the knockout punch, is my favorite. Since we were on the Boardwalk, some of the group caught a ride on the carousel before we headed to our final stop.

We ended the bar crawl in Matt’s AquaTheater suite. His Royal Genie had arranged a bar to be set up on their balcony, and the views from the balcony were amazing. We could watch the show’s performers practicing in the AquaTheater’s pool and enjoy a view of the ship’s wake.

A port stop in Costa Maya featured a private beach excursion with the group.

On day four, we were treated to a private excursion at Maya Chan Beach Resort. This excursion was only for those who had booked through MEI Travel.

I had never been to Maya Chan, so I was surprised that it was a half hour drive from the cruise port. Some of the roads to get there were extremely bumpy, but the drivers tried to make the trip as comfortable as possible. After all, they take this route every day so they were familiar with the conditions of the roads.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the staff and given a tour of the area before being shown to our own private section of the beach. We were offered complimentary beverages along with tortilla chips, guacamole, and pico de gallo while waiting for lunch to be served.

Related: Excursion Focus: Maya Chan Beach in Costa Maya

There were canoes and stand-up paddle boards for our use. For a nominal fee, you could have a massage on the beach, which my husband was eager to partake in!

Our authentic Mexican buffet lunch included items such as flour tortillas with chicken, beef, and pulled pork, along with Mexican rice and a selection of homemade salsas. Everything was delicious!

The staff at Maya Chan was amazing. They were friendly, attentive, and even came around to each family to schedule our return time back to the ship. It was a perfect day.

There were no group activities scheduled the next day in Cozumel, but the final day of our cruise brought two more meetups.

Since we were porting in Cozumel on day five, we did not have any group events scheduled.

The first event on day six, the last day of our cruise, was the only one I missed. The event was an hour (8AM-9AM) of private time at the ship’s Perfect Storm waterslides, and was another exclusive event for passengers who booked with MEI Travel.

Instead, I opted for brunch with my family at The Mason Jar (where I wouldn’t need to get my hair wet!).

Related: The Mason Jar Southern food restaurant review on Wonder of the Seas

At 11AM, we met up in the Music Hall to watch Matt from Royal Caribbean Blog and Beci from MEI Travel record a podcast highlighting the events of the group cruise. That was the last official event, however I did run into a bunch of our members in the casino having shots! Later, they moved into the smaller Golden Room casino for some table games.

I loved my first Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise. Here’s how you can participate in the next one.

What I loved most about the Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise is that it was the perfect blend of planned events along with plenty of free time to make the cruise your own. It almost felt like two cruises in one!

We had a great time with the group, and then enjoyed quiet time in the Suite Lounge and dinners in Coastal Kitchen.   

If you want to participate in a Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise, you can find more information on upcoming sailings here. Booking the cruise with MEI Travel gives you access to exclusive events throughout the sailing.

There are currently four more group cruises planned:

• June 16, 2023 on Navigator of the Seas, sailing from Los Angeles
• October 22, 2023 on Serenade of the Seas, sailing from Boston
• March 16, 2024 on Rhapsody of the Seas, sailing the Panama Canal from Colón
• June 29, 2024 on Icon of the Seas, sailing from Miami

Royal Caribbean Group had such a strong first quarter results for 2023 that the company dramatically updated its expectations for the rest of the year. The cruise company's executives talked about what drove these kind of big numbers.

Royal Caribbean bumped its full-year adjusted earnings forecast by nearly 50%, which would result in best year ever.

As per usual, the top executives at Royal Caribbean Group spoke with Wall Street analysts to go over the results, and there's some interesting facts and statements for cruise fans.

Over the course of the hour-long call, Royal Caribbean Group talked about Utopia of the Seas, the opening of Hideaway Beach, how popular their product is right now, and what to expect with the China cruise market.

Here's what stood out to us in the earnings call.

North America is dominating the cruise market right now

If you want the 10 second summary of why Royal Caribbean had such a good quarter, it's that people from North America are booking cruises at a pace and price never before seen.

There was such high demand for Caribbean cruises in the quarter that it translated into more people sailing on each ship, while paying more for cruise ticket prices and spending more money onboard their ship.

It caught the company off guard, as Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty noted they had expected a slower first quarter, "we thought the first quarter would be a transition period, we always expected the rest of the year to be strong. The fact that demand for the coming nine months is so much stronger than our already robust expectations says a lot about the strength of the consumer and the strength of our brands."

"While demand has been strong across all products and markets, we continue to see exceptional strength from the North American consumer. This strength, in combination with the incredible perfect day at CocoCay has resulted in record yields for our Caribbean sailings.

How strong were these bookings? The company says bookings outpaced 2019 levels "by a very wide margin" throughout the entire first quarter and into April.

Moreover, Mr. Liberty said the booking window "is now completely back to normal", meaning any reluctancy to book a cruise following the pandemic has eroded.

Europe is doing well too

While Caribbean cruises are super popular, European cruises are doing well too.

Royal Caribbean Group CFO Naftali Holtz talked about the numbers, "European bookings are nicely outpacing 2019 levels, with peak summer sailings trending particularly well in recent weeks."

He mentioned Odyssey of the Seas' European season in particular is, "attracting quality demand and rates."

Bookings for Europe might have been something the company worried about, but it's proving to be a great bet. Mr. Liberty shared, "for Europe, I think we were a little bit concerned going into the year, but because of our of our global and nimble sourcing model, we really have seen a surge in European bookings and we feel very good on how Europe is going to play out this year, but not to the level that we saw in the in the Caribbean."

Is Royal Caribbean holding back cabin inventory?

At the very end of the call, Mr. Liberty seemed to say that the inventory of cabins when a new sailing is released is not necessarily all the cabins at once.

A question was asked about how booking and inventory will be handled in the future, and Mr. Liberty talked about their process.

"We used to kind of put everything out there and all the suites would be sold basically right off the bat. And then you would kind of work your way down to the inside cabins," he said in answering the question.

"While now, we we hold back inventory, and we release it based off of our what are much more sophisticated revenue management models that we have today."

He did not get into any kind of specifics, but it's an interesting comment for consumers if indeed every cabin is bookable at once or not.

Utopia of the Seas will sail the Caribbean

Royal Caribbean has not announced where Utopia of the Seas will be homeported or where she will sail to, but we did get one tidbit that could point to where Utopia will be based.

Utopia of the Seas will be Royal Caribbean's sixth Oasis Class cruise ship, and will launch in 2024.

In talking about Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley spilled the beans on one fact we can expect about the new ship.

"We haven't announced the deployment, but Utopia will also be going to Perfect Day," he said during the call.

This means Utopia will almost certainly be homeported somewhere on the east coast of the United States.

Royal Caribbean's ships don't visit CocoCay typically when based in Galveston, so that likely removes that possibility.

Mr. Bayley also said Utopia will be "coming online in June."

Royal Beach Club will open around summer 2025

Speaking of things we didn't know before, Mr. Bayley said when the new Royal Beach Club will open.

The Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island will be the first Royal Beach Club, which offers a curated beach day for an extra cost.

We knew it would open in 2025, but now it appears to be closer to the start of summer.

"Our intention is to have the Royal Beach Club open in towards the end of the spring, summer of '25."

The beach club's capacity will be around 2,500 to 2,750 passengers per day.

More passengers booking pre-cruise than ever before

It's not your imagination: people are booking more shore excursions, internet, dining, and drink packages than ever before.

According to Mr. Liberty, about two thirds of guests are now booking pre-cruise add-ons before their cruise begins. Compare that to 48% in 2019.

You can expect more features and updates to both Royal Caribbean's website and app in the near future, "while we have made a significant leap in our commercial capabilities, we are still in the early innings of our journey and will continue to add features and capabilities to our app and commercial engines."

New cruisers

In the first quarter, the percentage of guests who were either new to brand or new to cruise surpassed 2019 levels by a wide margin.

Mr. Holtz said customers new to Royal Caribbean Group brands as well as customers first-time cruisers all together "significantly exceeded 2019 levels."

Moreover, he emphasized that it's important to keep those cruisers, "at the same time, we also focus on making sure that they stay there and increase repeat rates."

China reopening in 2024

The one cruise market that Royal Caribbean has not resumed service yet is China, but the company is looking at mid-2024 for that to occur.

China was a major market for Royal Caribbean International before the cruise industry shutdown. According to Mr. Bayley, Royal was the top brand in the Chinese cruise market by volume.

"We're now more encouraged by all of the signals that we've had for our reopening in China in '24", Mr. Bayley said.

"We've now started to rebuild our sales organization in China and we expect hopefully by late spring, early summer to be back operating out of China '24."

"Our expectation is that this market will return to how it was pre pandemic."

"The value of a Chinese customer is very high when you look at their their the net revenue from a from a Chinese consumer it's typically around the same level as an American and slightly higher."

Icon of the Seas won't begin sailing until January 2024, but she's already a home run for the cruise line.

Icon of the Seas is better booked than any other ship launch, and Royal Caribbean is "getting exceptional demand with bookings well surpassing previous records," is what Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said during the company's earnings call with Wall Street analysts earlier today.

"Despite being on sale for only five months, Icon is significantly more booked for her inaugural season at materially higher rates than any other Royal Caribbean ship launch."

The new cruise ship is still almost 8 months away from its first sailing (the first cruise is in January 2024), but it's booking up at a pace never before seen and at even higher prices.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley talked about this fact, "Icon is literally the best performing new product launch we've ever had in the history of our business, and we're delighted with volume and rate and that really is a full 24 product."

"I know it's a brand new product and it's stunning, but it's really driving a huge amount of demand and great rate."

Royal Caribbean's first quarter results were so good, that the company had to re-adjust its full year expectations because business is booming right now.  

Truist analysts Patrick Scholes and Gregory Miller said, "This was the best quarterly cruise result vs. expectations we have seen in many years."

New class of ship leading big demand

The results are clear: a lot of people are excited to sail on Icon of the Seas.

At 250,600 tons, she will take the title of the biggest cruise ship ever built and that size is good news for Royal Caribbean's bottom line.

Once finished, she will have two more passenger decks than the current biggest ship in the world, Wonder of the Seas.

Icon will also be about 10 feet longer than Wonder, coming in at 1,198 feet long.

"Our normalized load factor will we will begin to rise," Mr. Liberty explained. "And that's really leading with with icon coming on, which will have a higher load factor profile."

What Mr. Liberty means is Icon can handle more passengers too. 

The maximum capacity for Icon will be 7,600, about 7% higher than Wonder of the Seas' maximum capacity of 7,084 passengers.

Icon of the Seas was announced as a new kind of cruise ship back in 2016. She is under construction in Finland, and will be the first new class of Royal Caribbean cruise ship in almost a decade.

Not only is she big, but Royal Caribbean is loading her up with all sorts of new offerings that has clearly resonated with consumers.

The ship will have new types of cabins, a water park, new neighborhoods, and plenty of activities inbetween.  

One big focus of the ship is the family cruise market, which the cruise line is actively targeting.

Icon of the Seas will have a dedicated neighborhood for families, known as Surfside.  Surfside is aimed at competing with the Orlando family vacation market.

In 2022, Mr. Bayley talked about how Icon will offer something more intriguing to families that might otherwise consider a Florida land vacation, "The Icon product, along with Perfect Day, with the kind of experiences that we're offering, with the kind of new accommodations that we have on Icon and the experiences that we have for young families, older families and of course couples and singles and what have you, is really squarely standing shoulder to shoulder with Orlando and those kind of destinations."

"We're really focusing on this target market, which is family and of course has many new neighborhoods, including a neighborhood called Surfside, which is absolutely focused on young families and those young families with children six and under travel all year round, because obviously parents can pull their kids out of pre-K."

Mr. Liberty echoed that goal in his comments today, "With Icon, we set out to create the ultimate vacation for thrill seekers, the chill enthusiasts, and everyone in between without compromise."

The first sailing of Icon of the Seas, a seven-night voyage out of Miami to the Eastern Caribbean, is scheduled for January 27, 2024.

The ship will sail year-round out of Miami in 2024, alternating between Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean itineraries, with four different routings available for departures between January 2024 and April 2025.

Last-minute cruise bookings help swing Royal Caribbean Group's financial fortunes towards a better place in the first quarter.

Royal Caribbean Group released its first quarter 2023 results on Thursday, which included better results than the company forecasted despite a net loss for the quarter.

The company had a first quarter loss of $47.9 million.

These results were significantly better than the company's guidance primarily due to strong close-in bookings at higher prices, continued strength of onboard spend, and favorable timing of operating costs.

Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said he was pleasantly surprised with the numbers, "We knew that demand for our business was strong and strengthening, but we have been pleasantly surprised with how swiftly demand further accelerated well above historical trends and at higher rates."

"Leisure travel continues to strengthen as consumer spend further shifts towards experiences. Demand for our brands is outpacing broader travel due to a strong rebound and an attractive value proposition," added Liberty. "We are increasing full year guidance, given the significant momentum in our business, and we are well on our way to achieve our Trifecta goals."

First quarter by the numbers

Total revenue for the first quarter was $2.9 billion, with a net loss of $47.9 million.

Overall capacity was at 102% for the quarter.  Capacity (load factors) can be over 100% when more than two people stay in a cabin (i.e. children).

Gross Cruise Costs per Available Passenger Cruise Days ("APCD") increased 8.2% as-reported and 8.8% in Constant-Currency, compared to the first quarter of 2019. 

Royal Caribbean Group had a better first quarter because of three reasons:

• Strong close-in demand for cruises (people booking more cruises close to sail date)
• Ships sailing with more people and at higher prices
• Lots of people booking things for their cruise onboard or online

Royal Caribbean Group reports it is generating significantly more bookings at meaningfully higher prices than in prior years, particularly from the North American consumer. 

In the first quarter, the company continued to benefit from multiple actions taken over the past several years to reshape its cost structure which is helping to offset persistent inflation.

"First quarter results reflect continued strong demand for cruising and our teams' focus on delivering the best vacation experiences that exceed guest expectations," said Naftali Holtz, chief financial officer, Royal Caribbean Group. "We also benefited from favorable timing of operating expenses, as well as our continued focus on improving margins consistent with our Trifecta goals."

As of March 31, 2023, the Group's customer deposit balance was at a record $5.3 billion.  

Big demand for cruises

The key detail in the first quarter results seems to be stronger than expected demand for cruises.

There was particularly strong close-in demand for Caribbean itineraries, which accounted for close to 80% of first quarter capacity of available cabins to book.

To put this in perspective, booking volumes in the first quarter were significantly higher than the corresponding period in 2019. 

Because of this demand, Royal Caribbean Group saw a record-breaking WAVE season, which drove up prices as well added more people onto cruise ships.

As a result, the company has adjusted its  full-year expectations for ticket and onboard revenue, as well as earnings. They're calling it a "significant increase" in the forecast.

In a statement filed today, the company expects to significantly exceed prior record Adjusted EBITDA, achieved in 2019. Adjusted EBITDA is a financial metric that includes the removal of various one-time, irregular, and non-recurring items from EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization)

Paying back loans

Between 2020 and 2022, Royal Caribbean Group took out a number of loans to keep the company going during the cruise industry shutdown.  Here's an update on paying them back.

During the first quarter, the company repaid $0.3 billion of debt maturities and generated $1.3 billion in operating cash flow. In the first quarter, the company issued $0.7 billion of 7.25% senior guaranteed notes due 2030 to refinance 2023 and 2024 debt maturities and extended $2.3 billion of its existing revolving credit facility commitment to April 2025. 

As of March 31, 2023, the scheduled debt maturities for the remainder of 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 were $1.8 billion, $2.3 billion, $3.7 billion and $2.8 billion, respectively.

New cruise ships

In 2023, Royal Caribbean Group will take delivery of three new cruise ships:

• Icon of the Seas
• Celebrity Ascent
• Silver Nova

All of these ships were ordered and financed pre-2020.

Royal Caribbean Group expects to spend about a half billion dollars on capital expenditures on non-new cruise ships.

Would they order more new ships? They only said that half a billion dollar figure does not "include potential ship sales or additions that the company may elect in the future."